Multifunctional housing

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a multifunctional housing for so-called white/grey goods, in particular an electrical domestic appliance, a consumer electronic product, including mobile devices such as mobile telephones etc and/or a bulky device, for example from the medical, power generating plant, or the automobile sphere. The optional colours are already an improvement over existing possibilites, but in particular, the combinations made possible by the inclusion of various sensors and/or energy supplies such as solar cells are particularly advantageous.

The invention relates to a housing for so-called white/grey goods, inparticular an electrical domestic appliance, a consumer electronicproduct, including mobile devices such as mobile telephones etc. and/ora bulky device, for example from the medical, power generation orautomotive fields.

Housings are known, which can be interchanged so that the color effectof the housing can be changed for example, and the requirements of theowner can be matched. The disadvantage of this is that the housings onlyever show one color and otherwise fulfill no other function.

There is however a need to create housings, the color of which changesas required and/or which are functional.

The object of the invention is therefore to create a housing, which canfulfill several functions and shows color changes without exchangingfixed parts.

The present invention relates to a housing, which comprises a solid baseelement, which is coated with a film at least in sub-areas, the filmserving as a substrate on which at least one electronic component isarranged.

According to one embodiment, the electronic component is anelectrochemical cell, the doping of the dye causing a change in thecolor of the electrochemical component. Generally the structure of anelectrochemical cell is used, which comprises an electrode, therespective electrochromic dye, the electrolytes and a counter-electrode.Encapsulation between the two electrodes is expedient in order to avoidelectrolyte loss. Doping of the electrochromic dye takes place byapplying a voltage which causes the electrolyte ions to be diffused intothe dye, thereby oxidizing or reducing it. If a housing is coated withthis type of electrochromic film, the color of the housing can change byapplying a low voltage. The color change is preferably reversible.

According to a further embodiment, an electronic component is aphotovoltaic cell, a solar cell for instance. In particular, theapplication of organic solar cells or at least solar cells predominantlyconstructed from organic material is of interest, as the solar cellssupply sufficient electrical power to switch the electrochromic colors,even with weak ambient lighting.

According to another embodiment, an electronic component is aphotodetector for example, which can detect the ambient light (intensityand/or color) and switches the color of the film and thus the coatedpart of the housing depending on ambient conditions.

According to further embodiments, different electronic componentscomprising different sensor technologies can be arranged on the film.Gas sensors, temperature sensors, moisture sensors and/or other sensorscan thus be used to supply information regarding different ambientconditions via the housing. In future it will thus be possible to readthe current environmental situation of the housing from the housingitself. This applies in particular to radiation (UV, X-ray, andradioactivity) and/or air (ozone) and/or other loads which can bedetected by means of sensors.

The following compounds can be given as examples of electrochromic colorsystems which can be used; polyaniline (PANI), PEDOT or derivativesthereof, viologene or further conjugated polymer or molecular colorsystems, which can change their color status with oxidization orreduction.

The solid base element of the housing is made from plastics, which havehitherto generally been used for housings of this type, such as PVC, PE,etc.

In this case, the term ‘housing’, does not just refer to elements knowntraditionally as housings, but also refers to clothing items and/orparts of motor vehicles or the like. Preferred housings are those oftelephones, in particular mobile telephones, Walkman devices and alsohelmets, sheet-metal bicycle parts and automobile chassis etc.

The film which serves as a substrate for the electronic component ispreferably a flexible film such as PET, PMMA, PC, and polyimide forexample.

The electronic components are preferably those which are constructedpredominantly from organic material, the term ‘organic material’ or‘functional polymer’ or ‘polymer’ here comprising all types of organic,organometallic and/or organic-inorganic plastics (hybrids), generallyreferred to as ‘plastics’. These are all types of materials except forsemiconductors, which form the conventional diodes (germanium, silicon)and the typical metallic conductor. There is therefore no restriction inthe dogmatic sense to organic material as a material containing carbon,rather the wide use of silicones for example is also considered.Furthermore, the term should not be subject to any restriction withregard to molecule size, in particular to polymer and/or oligomermaterials, but the use of small ‘molecules’ is by all means alsopossible. The ‘polymer’ part of the word in ‘functional polymer’, ishistoric and therefore does not indicate the presence of an actualpolymer compound.

Functional polymers can refer to semi-conductive, conductive and/orinsulating materials.

Electronic components formed predominantly from organic material arecharacterized in that as a rule they can be arranged on flexiblesubstrates. The individual functional layers such as conductor, semiconductor, insulator, emitting layer, photovoltaically active layer etc.are thus made from predominantly organic material. The solubility of theorganic material often allows these components to be manufactured bymeans of printing and/or using a simple roll to roll method.

The invention firstly allows a housing to be incorporated into thefunctionality of the device, in other words an economic value added canbe created by means of the design and effect of the housing. Thechangeable color of the housing alone is already an improvement, but inparticular the combinations made possible by the inclusion of varioussensors and/or energy sources such as solar cells are particularlyadvantageous.

1. Housing comprising a solid base element and coated with a film in atleast sub-areas, the film serving as a substrate on which at least oneelectronic component is arranged.
 2. Housing according to claim 1,wherein the at least one electronic component has an electrochromiccolor system.
 3. Housing according to claim 2, wherein theelectrochromic color system causes a reversible change in the housingcolor.
 4. Housing according to claim 1, wherein the at least oneelectronic component has a photovoltaic cell.
 5. Housing according toclaim 1, wherein the at least one electronic component has a sensor. 6.Housing according to claim 1, wherein the at least one electroniccomponent is predominantly constructed from organic material.
 7. Housingaccording to claim 4, wherein the photovoltaic cell is a solar cell. 8.Housing according to claim 1, wherein the at least one electroniccomponent is a photodetector.